Five Times
by Queen
Summary: It was not their first kiss, but it was their longest. Five kisses that led up to a final one. Barriss/Gree
1. A Curious Kiss

_Five Times_

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The First: A Curious Kiss.

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At such a late time of night, the mess was nearly empty. Sleepy men slouched over late night snacks, heads nodding. The rest napped where they sat.

In the back corner, though, a pair could be found, sitting huddled together with uneaten food, long since cooled, on trays pushed out of their way. One was Commander Gree, and the other was Padawan Barriss Offee. The object occupying so much of their attention was a holobook. It sat on the space between them on the table, and each was curled around one side of it.

"They also wore tattoos," Barriss said, a fingertip touching the light blue screen and tracing the pattern on the figure's forehead.

"It marked their caste," Gree explained. He smiled, looking at her wryly. "Ritual tattooing is not uncommon among different species in the galaxy." His hand, resting just to the side of the holobook, lifted, traced a pattern in the air just across from Barriss's face. She touched the pattern of diamonds on the bridge of her nose, self-consciously, shying away from his gesture. Gree lowered his eyes, set his hand deliberately at the bottom of the holobook's screen, just below hers.

Barriss moved hers down to the next tier of the stele shown on the page, and Gree slid his hand away to give her room. Their hands did not quite meet. She sketched out the figures with her fingertips, letting her nails slide across the surface of the screen. "Very little seems to be known about the Gree," she said, picking out the figures on the second tier of the bas-relief. The first tier depicted craftsmen constructing some bit of technology she could not quite determine. The second seemed to be depicting the celebration of the completion of the first. A figure in the center held the rectangular object in two tentacles, while four other Gree, two flanking each side of the central figure, seemed to be dancing or rejoicing, their multiple arms tangling each other into an embrace. "Cephalopods, sentient or not, are usually congenial in nature." She tapped the screen, pointing out one of the embracing pairs, their faces turned towards each other, close. "They look almost like they're about to kiss."

"It's old," Gree said, a hand sliding out over the softly glowing surface of the screen, pausing over parts of the relief. Though the image in the book was high resolution, the stele was ancient, and pieces were crumbling from it, leaving bits of the image missing. "Even if this were once a part of their culture, it may not be any more."

"That would be a shame. There's joy on their faces. See?" Her fingers flicked against his as she tapped on each of the figures. She turned her head to smile warmly at him, and found he was looking, not at the holobook, but at her. She looked away, shy, across the mess. The few who occupied it with them were paying no attention to the two of them. She looked back to Gree, whose eyes had grown heavy, lashes descending halfway closed. She found hers drifting shut as well, wondering if his lips would taste of salt and of muja juice from their meal. They did, and they were warm, and they were light, and then they were gone.

Gree's face, soft, grew more nervous. He cast a brief look across the mess, lips drawing into a line as he pulled back, retreating from their closeness. He looked at her, uncertain now, not timid but curious as to her reaction and concerned over his own boldness. His hand, still on the tabletop, slowly drew into a fist.

Barriss regarded her own hands, the olive of her skin against the forest green stripes on his white armor. He wondered if she would regret, or feel anger, or feel imposed upon. But she found it sweet, if forbidden. It was a small intimacy, an experience she could lock away and remember on days when she felt lonely. A quick glance towards the rest of the mess assured enough privacy. She gently placed a hand on his fist, if only for a moment. "It was a good custom, for the Gree to have." Her fingers trailed across the two nearly-kissing figures, and she let her indigo eyes meet his brown ones.

She withdrew, but not without sharing a small smile. The worry in his face faded, and he touched the back of her hand for a moment before withdrawing as well.

"Tell me more, about the Gree," she said.

He smiled, and did.

* * *

Ah, nerd love. LOL.

This is a slightly random fic, and somewhat out of context. While writing a part of my _Said the Joker_ series, a scene between Barriss and Gree cropped up with the line "_it was not their first kiss, but it was their longest_" popping out of nowhere, and I decided to explore it just a bit. So, technically speaking, this is a part of my _Said the Joker_ series, though it can probably be read as a handful of oneshots standing on their own.

I hope you enjoyed part one. There will be five parts total.

~Queen


	2. A Keldabe Kiss

_Five Times_

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The Second: A Keldabe Kiss.

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Chaos reigned on the battlefield, and the roar of its fury drowned out all other noise. They were pinned down behind an overturned AT-TE, the legs of the thing sticking up in crazy, broken angles. Red blasterfire tore through the air overhead, darted between the bits of cover men took shelter behind. A shorn off section of wall served as cover for three more clones, each of them with their own blasters raised over the lip of the rubble, returning red bolts with blue. Others, one here, one there, leaned out behind corners of buildings.

Hunched down behind the AT-TE, Gree was huddled forward, and Barriss could see his body moving, flinching, jerking slightly, as he vehemently argued with someone on the other end of the comm channel. His hand twitched slightly, making a cutting motion. He shook his blaster once.

Smoke clogged the air. Vulture droids on a strafing run screamed through the sky overhead, and Barriss moved low, beating away a blast that would have struck their cover. The payload was heavy enough to send her staggering backward, the deflected shot tearing up the duracrete street instead. Her arms ached from the force of it, and she flicked off her lightsaber for a moment to flex her arms and hands, easing away the pain as she crouched behind the AT-TE.

Gree's voice was hard when it came through the speakers of his helmet. "Rest of them are too far off to get here in time. We're on our own." He hefted his blaster, gauntleted fingers flexing around it more tightly.

She looked from Gree to the others and back again. They'd lost members of their unit once behind enemy lines. There were little more than a handful left, hiding behind rubble and trying to hold out against the onslaught.

She was their leader; unable to save all of them, the only option left was to save what remained. Looking to the sky, there were more vulture droids visible beyond the oily black smoke. They needed an exit. Further back and they'd run into the shifting enemy line. The only other way was forward, to regroup with Master Unduli and the main force.

Gree would try to prohibit her from doing something impulsive. She gave him a grim smile as he checked the charge on his blaster's power cell, preparing to join in the return fire. She set her hand heavily on his shoulder, hard enough to capture his attention. He turned towards her at the contact, and she quickly bumped her forehead against his helmet, not too hard, but hard enough to startle him.

She could not see his face through the black slit of his helmet, but she could imagine his surprise, his wide eyes and open mouth. "Be prepared to cover me. I will open a path. You will know when. Then move quickly."

The blue fire of her lightsaber cast an eerie light once ignited. It did not reflect off the matte black of his vision sensors.

He called her name, angrily. "Barriss!"

But she was gone, long robes flickering behind her as she disappeared into the haze of smoke.

* * *

Quasi-cliffhanger?

A "Keldabe Kiss" is a head-butt. Only the Mandalorians would consider whacking their heads together romantic. Gotta love it.

~Queen


	3. A Comforting Kiss

_Five Times_

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The Third: A Comforting Kiss.

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"You've been spending too much time with Commander Tano," Gree announced, grumpily.

Barriss merely smiled, resting her hands on top of the white sheet pulled up over her belly. She was much stronger today, and a med droid had removed several layers of bacta soaked gauze from her chest an hour ago. The thin medicenter gown was pulled tightly around her. Her dark hair was plastered around her cheeks and neck, in need of a washing. She lay against stark white, firm pillows, and accepted his worry with gentle amusement.

"Master Unduli has already chastised me for my recklessness as well as commended me for bravery. There is no need for you to scold me too." Her mild smile deepened into something a little mischievous. "And I did get us all out. There is little point in wondering what could have changed the past. The present is here. I am alive, you are alive, and I promise not to run off in the future." Gree looked mollified, but Barriss added, with a playful grin, "Unless I _need_ to run off."

He frowned at her for several seconds, then relaxed a bit, sighing as he saw the teasing look in her eyes. He turned slightly, making note of the grey curtain drawn around Barriss' bedside. He edged several inches closer, and some of the formality about him faded. Barriss' expression grew serious in turn, seeing him move between _Gree the Commander_ and _Gree her friend_.

He pressed his lips into a firm line, reached out with a hand. It hesitated halfway to her, then moved the rest of the way, fingers lightly caressing the edge of the pattern of diamonds on one cheekbone, then down to cup her cheek. She leaned into it for a moment, reassuring him of her health, of her wholeness.

The kiss came slowly, Gree stopping, uncertainly, to hover twice on the way down. He placed his mouth on hers, lingered only long enough for her to feel reassured by the warmth of him, then withdrew. His voice came out low and rough. "You could have been killed."

"And if I did not take action, you could have been," she replied evenly, her voice equally low but softer. "I appreciate your concern but do not question my reasoning."

His face did not darken with anger, but with embarrassment. He was a dark shade of red within moments. "Don't risk yourself on my account."

"I am a Jedi, it is my duty." She placed her hand on top of his, pulled it from her cheek with a squeeze. "And I may choose to risk myself for whomever I like."

She returned his look of worry with one of unwavering certainty. He closed his eyes for a moment, sighed, and smiled at her. "Thank you, Commander."

His fingers slid away from hers, and she returned her hand to its resting place, folded with her other one on her abdomen. "You are welcome, Commander Gree," she told him, her voice returning to a more normal level.

"Get well soon," he said.

"I will," she replied.

He unclipped his helmet from his belt, slid it over his head, and left her there to heal.

* * *

It's always Ahsoka's fault. She's such a bad influence. XD

This takes place shortly after Chapter 2. See? Barriss lives!

~Queen


	4. A Consoling Kiss

_Five Times_

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The Fourth: A Consoling Kiss.

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Gree stood with his arms folded, glaring out the window as though he wished to fight with the galaxy itself. The klaxons had long since faded into silence, but they still echoed in his mind, a chorus of pained noises rising up from the medical wing now providing accompanying vocals. Groans and cries were interrupted by shouts of pain. The ship was heavy with the aftermath of battle; pain, loss, relief, hunger. He was no Jedi to feel it personally, but having been through enough battles himself, he knew what each of his men would be experiencing now.

"Gree?" Barriss's voice was soft, interrupting, and her dark form almost floated across the floor towards him. Her footfalls were silent. She stood beside him, placed a hand lightly on his arm, then removed it, providing a comforting touch he could not truly feel through his armor.

"Casualties are too high," he told her gruffly. Her face showed that she already knew, but she bowed her head anyway, in remembrance and in mutual sorrow. "They're always too high."

"I know," she said lowly, shifting herself to stand in front of him. Her eyes darted past him, down the hallway to where droids and clone medics moved men on repulsor stretchers into the medbay. He turned to follow her gaze, watched another pair of men hurry an injured one through the doors. "I am on my way there now," she said. Barriss placed a hand on his arm again, drawing his attention back to her and away from the medbay. Her hands moved up to either side of his face, and she leaned upward, pulling him down a bit to more easily meet her lips.

It was brief, firm, a kiss not of romance or even of gentleness, but of reassurance, the intention behind it encouragement. He was in pain, and she could see it. It did not lessen his sympathy for his brothers, or relive his anger at the enemy, but her caring buoyed him for a moment, giving him a bit of hope.

"I will do what I can, to keep down the death count." Her hands exerted a slight pressure on his cheeks, her grip tightening momentarily in a sharing of strength before they slid away. "Rest, Gree. You can do nothing good for them here. When things have calmed, come to visit."

He disliked the medbay. He found himself there far too often, either for his own injuries or to support those who had them. Still, he went. "I will."

She gave him a smile of hope, searching his face for some sign of moving past the anger and frustration. He summoned one for her, managing a weak smile. She nodded once, abruptly growing serious as she stepped away from him, swiftly moving down the corridor to meet a new chain of repulsor stretchers, escorting them inside as she pushed up her sleeves.

* * *

Thought I'd try one from Gree's pov. Any good?

~Queen


	5. A Contented Kiss

_Five Times_

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The Fifth: A Contented Kiss.

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It was a lovely place, the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Every twist and turn of the pathways through it led to a creek, a bramble of otherworldly flora, a meditative alcove, a cascading waterfall. The sound of the water created a steady thrum throughout, and the water itself a warm humidity in the air.

On the edge of one of the fountains, a dark figure sat, her skirts gathered close around her. Her palm was full of pebbles, each hitting the water with a satisfying _plop_ as she idly tossed them in. She smiled as another presence arrived in her space, and she tossed another stone. "So you found me."

"You shouldn't have your comm off, General," Gree said, stepping forward to stand beside the fountain.

Barriss smiled up at him in amusement, then tilted her head. Gree looked stiff for a moment, cast a wary glance back the way he came, sighed, then sat beside her. Their knees did not quite touch. Barriss tossed another pebble into the pool, watching it disappear beneath the spray of the fountainhead. She wiped her hands together, then across her thighs, brushing away any dirt that may have clung from the stones. "I will be away for a long time. I wished to see some welcoming plant life. I assume you've come to collect me?"

"General Unduli wants to leave before nightfall."

She smiled at him a little, but it was somewhat sad. She'd never quite accustomed herself to his new, darker armor. She supposed he was still accustoming himself to her new rank, both as Knight and as General, to her new assignment away from the 41st, away from Master Unduli, away from him. She could not quite see their reflections in the pool, since the water was constantly disturbed by the spray. Still, two darkish figures seemed to waver in the water. "I don't want to disappoint her."

A heavy hand reached out, clasped hers. Gree ran a thumb over her knuckles, tucked her fingers into his palm. "You haven't disappointed her."

She looked at his face, his eyes so intent on their clasped hands, his lips pulled into a slight frown. He spoke _of_ Luminara, but judging by his tone and the way he held her hand, he was not speaking _for_ her. Barriss bowed her head, almost shyly at his implied praise. She squeezed his hand in understanding, and it brought a sad sort of smile from him.

He cast another look back towards the path he took to reach the fountain, and Barriss cast a look in the other direction, each finding the paths empty. Returning attention to each other, they leaned in, at first a little awkwardly, unsure of which way the other would tilt their head. They would see each other for a few more days, while they traveled between stars; after that, meetings were uncertain. Perhaps one of them would not last out the war. Perhaps they would never again have a moment of privacy to share a quick kiss, a quick bit of reassurance and comfort. There was sadness, and loneliness, but contentedness too, because they'd had a little time, now and again, to share with each other.

The kiss was fleeting, light. Barriss placed her hand on his cheek, leaned up, and kissed his forehead as well, quickly.

He ran a thumb over her knuckles, turned her hand over, ran it over her palm. He clenched her hand in his for a moment, tightly, then let his grip ease, fingers sliding away from hers.

He stood, and offered her his hand, palm up. She accepted it, and he helped her stand. Again, their hands parted. They left the Room of a Thousand Fountains in silence, walking side by side.

* * *

Gree would eventually go to Kashyyyk.

Barriss' destination was Felucia.

* * *

There will actually be a sixth (and final) kiss, but it belongs inside another story in my _Said the Joker_ series. _Five Times_ was an attempt to explore some of the background of their relationship, and as there was no place for it elsewhere, it got its' own story.

Kashyyyk and Felucia are where Gree and Barriss were, respectively, at the time of Order 66.

Thank you to everyone who's read and enjoyed these ficlets!

~Queen


End file.
